If you have a question concerning Cancer Services at Benedictine Hospital please call 845-334-3015
Radiation therapies offered at Benedictine Hospital* carefully target and regulate high-energy radiation to destroy cancer cells. Radiation therapy is also called radiotherapy, X-ray therapy, cobalt treatment, or irradiation. It can be used alone or in conjunction with other treatments. Radiation therapy targets the cells within the area that is diseased. It can be used to shrink a cancerous tumor before surgery; stop the growth of cancer cells after surgery; or in conjunction with anticancer drugs to destroy a malignant tumor.
You may have some concerns that the radiation kills healthy cells along with the diseased cells. You should know, therefore, that radiation is much more deadly to cancer cells than to normal cells. The reason for this is that cancer cells divide more rapidly than do healthy cells. Cells are more vulnerable when they are in the process of dividing. Add to this the fact that normal cells can recover more easily from the effects of radiation while cancer cells have a much more difficult time.
This form of radiation is directed at a cancer from
outside the body by a machine such as a linear accelerator. This allows
your doctor to treat a region or multiple regions of your body. It is
the most common of all radiation therapies. During treatment, a beam
of radiation is directed through the skin to a tumor and the immediate
surrounding area in order to destroy the main tumor and any nearby cancers
cells. Like having a chest X-ray, there is no pain or feeling of any
kind during the treatment. The machine never touches you.
In a process called simulation, your doctor will determine the exact
locations which are to receive radiation. This is done by computerized
tomography (CT). The CT simulation process allows a complete three-dimensional
view of the areas that need to be targeted and the areas to avoid.
Each treatment takes about 15 minutes and is performed on an outpatient
basis over a number of wks.
Today, most radiation treatment plans compute the radiation dose and distribution in a 3D setting. A detailed three-dimensional representation of the tumor and surrounding organs is created. Your radiation oncologist can then shape the beams to exactly to the size and shape of the tumor and visualize the surrounding normal tissues.
Treatments are evolving. And new methods
are constantly being developed to administer radiation therapy. Intensity
Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) is one such treatment available at
the Cancer Center.
IMRT treatment is a type of 3-D radiation in which the delivered radiation
conforms to the tumor shape, thus minimizing even further any damage
to healthy tissues. IMRT allows radiation beams to be divided up and
delivered in different intensities and directions to match the tumor’s
shape. IMRT allows us to treat smaller targets more safely.
Image Guidance is a further refinement of our ability to deliver the treatment in the most accurate fashion. Our linear accelerator will be equipped with the Varian On Board Imager (OBI). This X-ray device allows us to image an internal target before treatment. Targeting can be done with either conventional X-rays to detect implanted markers or with a CT scan. These techniques improve accuracy and may allow for higher doses of radiation.
Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRT) is a unique form of radiation therapy that uses a very precise, high-dose X-ray beam to target a small area of the brain and body. This additional precision is achieved by using special devices to ensure accurate positioning and through Image Guidance to ensure the exact location of the tumor for the treatment. Each SRT treatment delivers a high dose of therapy and thus fewer treatments are needed. Because SRT depends on precision, some additional steps are required in the planning and implementation.
Brachytherapy (brak-e-THER-uh-pee) internal radiation treatment is the science of placing radioactive materials inside either a cancer or an organ with cancer. Because the radiation source is placed so close to or inside the tumor, a large dose of radiation can be delivered to the tumor with minimal exposure to surrounding normal tissue.
The
radioactive sources used in brachytherapy are small capsules or seeds.
These can be placed permanently. The capsules remain in the body after
the radiation has been expended and the seeds are no longer radioactive.
Alternatively, tiny tubes or catheters can be temporarily placed in
the body for a day or more to allow a very strong radioactive seed
to travel through the catheter, delivering treatment deep inside the
body without passing through critical organs. This is called a ‘temporary
implant’. Because the radiation is delivered with a highly radioactive
source, it is also called High Dose Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy.
Radiation Oncologist (physician)
The radiation oncologist works with other cancer doctors to determine
how a course of radiation can be most effective for each patient’s
needs. The radiation oncologist will prescribe the amount of radiation
to be delivered and work with other members of the radiation team to
ensure proper targeting and delivery. He or she will also oversee your
radiation treatments on a regular basis.
Radiation Oncology Nurses
The radiation oncology nurses work collaboratively with the radiation
oncologist, radiation therapists, and other cancer nurse specialists
to care for you at the time of diagnosis and during treatment. They
will explain the process of radiation therapy, and the possible side
effects. They will assess how you are doing thoughout the treatment
and help the doctor manage any changes.
Radiation Therapists
Radiation therapists administer the daily radiation treatments under
the doctor’s prescription and supervision. They maintain daily
records of the treatments to help in the overall medical management.
Radiation therapists receive special training and are required to have
a special license.
Medical Physicist
Medical physicists are licensed by New York state after specialized
training and have a doctorates or master’s degree. Medical physicists
are key in helping the radiation oncologist plan and deliver the correct
treatment. Their responsibilities also include the monitoring of the
treatment machines with multiple precise measurements.
Dosimetrist
Dosimetrists work under the supervision of the medical physicist and
carefully calculate the dose of radiation for each treatment plan.
Today, dosimetirsts use computers for planning and work closely with
the physician to develop the best plan to destroy the tumor and avoid
normal tissue. Dosimetrists are specially trained members of the team.
*The radiation center is a joint program of Benedictine Hospital and Vassar Brothers Medical Center.